Tiny white bugs crawling on chick

[ella2025]

I noticed these white bugs on my 7-8week olds a few days ago. There were very few of them and they were barely noticeable. I went to TSC and bought some diatomaceous earth and Manna Pro Poultry Protector. I used it twice or 3 time dove the course of 5 days and the "mites" seemed to dissapear for a few days. This morning when I went to the coop I saw that Olive, one of my black chicks, was covered in them! Some bigger and some smaller. If anyone could please help me ID these mites? I checked under wings, base of feathers, and there's no clusters of eggs or anything. Just these yellowish white buggies.

I will get some permethrin concentrate since all I have right now is some mild preventative medicines. How do I dilute 10% permethrin to spray on my birds?

I went to the coop to check on Olive, take some pictures and spray her with Poultry Protector (because that's all I have until the permethrin arrives) after seeing a ton of bugs on her literally 2 minutes ago. Most of them were gone. They probably hid in her feathers. Anyway here are some photos of them that I did find, hopefully it's clear enough that you can see. They're the yellow dots. The tiny white specks are just dust or preened feathers.

 

[Granny Berry]

Try diatomacious earth dusting. Thoroughly clean and sanitize coop. I hate the chemical treatments!

 

[Granny Berry]

Thoroughly clean the coop, removing all bedding and debris, then dust with diatomaceous earth. Offer dust baths with a mixture of sand, dirt, and wood ash. You can also create a spray with garlic, essential oils (like eucalyptus, lavender, and peppermint), and water.

 

[ella2025]

Thoroughly clean the coop, removing all bedding and debris, then dust with diatomaceous earth. Offer dust baths with a mixture of sand, dirt, and wood ash. You can also create a spray with garlic, essential oils (like eucalyptus, lavender, and peppermint), and water.

Should I put DE in the coop too? I put it outside in their run but their coop is already quite dusty for some reason, I don't want them to get respiratory issues.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I went to TSC and bought some diatomaceous earth and Manna Pro Poultry Protector. I used it twice or 3 time dove the course of 5 days and the "mites" seemed to dissapear for a few days. This morning when I went to the coop I saw that Olive, one of my black chicks, was covered in them!

From what I can tell, it looks like Lice.

Doesn't seem like the DE and Poultry Protector is working for you.

I'd go to TSC and get a container of Permethrin based poultry dust and bottle of Permethrin10.

Put the dust in a sock and use that like a powder puff to dust the birds all over, working the dust all the way through the feathers down to the skin. Repeat in 7day intervals.

Mix the Permethrin10 according to the label and spray your coop/housing. Repeat in 7days intervals.

You mention your coop is quite dusty already. Chickens are very dusty, so be sure to have plenty of ventilation and airflow.

I will get some permethrin concentrate since all I have right now is some mild preventative medicines. How do I dilute 10% permethrin to spray on my birds?

Should I put DE in the coop too? I put it outside in their run but their coop is already quite dusty for some reason, I don't want them to get respiratory issues.

 

[Folly's place]

DE doesn't work all that well, is is not good for either you or your birds to inhale.
Permethrin works very well, the liquid concentrate mixed in a sprayer is easiest to use, and can get into the cracks and crevasses in the coop too.
Permethrin dust is fine too, but we like the spray better, except in very cold weather.
Lice and mites are miserable little 'bugs' who can kill chickens by blood loss anemia. Happened here long ago, awful!
Spinosad also works, but is way more expensive, use the permethrin instead.
Mary

 

[ella2025]

From what I can tell, it looks like Lice.

Doesn't seem like the DE and Poultry Protector is working for you.

I'd go to TSC and get a container of Permethrin based poultry dust and bottle of Permethrin10.

Put the dust in a sock and use that like a powder puff to dust the birds all over, working the dust all the way through the feathers down to the skin. Repeat in 7day intervals.

Mix the Permethrin10 according to the label and spray your coop/housing. Repeat in 7days intervals.

You mention your coop is quite dusty already. Chickens are very dusty, so be sure to have plenty of ventilation and airflow.

DE doesn't work all that well, is is not good for either you or your birds to inhale.
Permethrin works very well, the liquid concentrate mixed in a sprayer is easiest to use, and can get into the cracks and crevasses in the coop too.
Permethrin dust is fine too, but we like the spray better, except in very cold weather.
Lice and mites are miserable little 'bugs' who can kill chickens by blood loss anemia. Happened here long ago, awful!
Spinosad also works, but is way more expensive, use the permethrin instead.
Mary

Thank you so much to both of you for these responses! I definitely will get permethrin. Should I spray it everywhere in the coop (even bedding) and on the birds (kind of like the Poultry Protector)? Is there an egg withdrawal if I use it on my older hens?

 

[Folly's place]

There's no egg withdrawal for either permethrin or spinosad. And best to remove the existing bedding, and spray the coop. You can use the permethrin powder under the new bedding, or just spray everything and all the birds.
It's easiest to spray the birds at night while they are roosting, with a small flashlight or head lamp. Of course that's not when you clean out the coop!
We free range, and have many wonderful episodes with mites, doing all these things. Spray at least twice, a week or ten days apart.
And I try to inspect at least a few birds every week or so, at night, looking for that early infestation. Most often find them on the roosters early on.
Miserable little wrens or sparrows invade the coop for food when the doors are open and the chickens are out.
Mary

 

[ella2025]

There's no egg withdrawal for either permethrin or spinosad. And best to remove the existing bedding, and spray the coop. You can use the permethrin powder under the new bedding, or just spray everything and all the birds.
It's easiest to spray the birds at night while they are roosting, with a small flashlight or head lamp. Of course that's not when you clean out the coop!
We free range, and have many wonderful episodes with mites, doing all these things. Spray at least twice, a week or ten days apart.
And I try to inspect at least a few birds every week or so, at night, looking for that early infestation. Most often find them on the roosters early on.
Miserable little wrens or sparrows invade the coop for food when the doors are open and the chickens are out.
Mary

Thank you so much!!!